kind of car the US president rides - 2009 Cadillac limousine

If you’re the type who has always wondered what kind of car the US president rides on, then you should head out to your local bookstore and buy ‘President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect’.

While the book doesn’t entirely dwell on cars, it does provide a detailed look at the official presidential ride: a 2009 Cadillac limousine.

Naturally, a car that had the president of the United States inside should be far from ordinary, and this particular Cadillac limousine is unlike any other. The car, which has been coined as ‘The Beast’, was built on top of a GMC truck chassis making it tougher and stronger than most limos out on the road these days.

Speaking of tough, the presidential limo is said to be tough enough to withstand grenades being thrown on it as well as direct hits from various artillery, including bazookas.

According to the book’s author, Ron Kessler, ‘the Beast’ is a technological marvel on four wheels. “The vehicle is armor-plated, with bulletproof glass and its own supply of oxygen,” he said. “

It is equipped with state-of-the-art encrypted communications gear, as well as a remote starting mechanism and a self-sealing gas tank. The vehicle can keep going even when the tires are shot out. Likewise, the car’s doors are 18 inches thick, and its windows are 5 inches thick."

It’s pretty safe to say that there aren’t a lot of limousines – much less cars – in the world that can compare to the ‘Beast’. After all, you don’t put all that technology and safety measures without a super duper VIP riding on it.

And last time we checked, the President of the United States, seems to fit that bill of a ‘SDVIP’.